I usually just serve it the same I do with rice with vegetables. I have been known to eat a bowl full all by itself because it tastes so good.

Note:

Always Rinse Quinoa, although highly nutritious, is actually coated with the toxic chemical saponin; you must rinse the quinoa thoroughly. Saponins can be challenging to the immune system and stomach. Commercial processing methods remove much of the bitter soapy saponins coating quinoa seeds, but it is best to rinse again to remove any of the powdery saponins that may remain on the seeds.

How often to eat quinoa?

Like all good foods, we need variety so best not to eat it every day. A few times a week is good enough.

Please do not cook a huge pot of quinoa or any other grain to last you all week. Refrigerating cooked grains imparts a waxy texture and washes out their subtle flavors. Freshly prepared foods satiate and energize; stale and leftover foods make us feel stale and leftover. May you be well nourished.

This is my favourite quiona, see the list and you will see why I love it.

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I am the Founder and Author at Real Food For Life. Have been teaching cooking classes worldwide since 1982.
Create original, healthy recipes and menus, which are gluten free and white sugar free. Also, the author of the GREEN means LEAN and Balance Your Body e-books. I turned a debilitating health crisis into a passion for helping others with healthy, sugar free, gluten free eating and cooking.

I cook quinoa, whole buckwheat, millet, in a combination of all three, or separately
with one part grain to 4 parts water; as 1/2 cup grain add 2 cups water. After starts to boil
cook on simmer til water is absorbed. This will be soft. Can be soaked overnight to digest
even better. Add greens like kale, collards, or brussels sprouts at proper time so they are
done, not too done. Very good topped with one or two eggs when grains are done or nearly
done. Let sit a few minutes til eggs are done. If you like eggs more done or if you forgot
to add soon enough, make a hole, add the egg and cover with grain. Enjoy!

Hi Joy!
For those with digestive problems; it maybe a good idea to soak overnight; most of us will probably not remember to do it even though it would be good. 🙂

Let us know how the quinoa goes for your breakfast Renee.

Annette
November 7, 2012 at 2:55 pm

Found your website. My nurse advised me to look into Quinoa. She knows that I am looking for ways to get away from red meat and chicken, too. I bought some at the store, (Walmart), and it did not have the seasonings in it. It’s just Quinoa. The instructions on the package said to go ahead and cook it. There is nothing on it about rinsing, so I guess they did that. I will try a taste and see if it tastes soapy, or if I can just eat it.

Annette, I would not assume that they rinsed the quinoa unless they state that they did. All the quinoa I buy needs to be rinsed. I just added a paragraph above about why you need to rinse it from the quinoa article http://realfoodforlife.com/quinoa-the-mother-food
I recommend that you read the article to learn more.

It is great to know the Health Benefits, I tasted it knowly for the first time this week-end. I purchased some for dinner and hope it is as easy to prepare as stated.
Thank you for the tip on rinsing it before preparation and the information on the health benefits.

Quinoa is great and I love it too. As it is not a grain it is good to still good to have some brown rice and other grains too like millet and oats for example. It is important to get a wide variety of foods into us every day.

elizabeth
April 12, 2013 at 3:47 pm

I just made quinoa for the first time with a spanish sofrito(olives,garlic,red peppers,onions,a little tomato sauce) and garbanzo beans added with cilantro and it was delicious! Next time I’ll add chicken and Instead of making arroz con pollo I’ll make quinoa and chicken(pollo).

Martha
July 17, 2013 at 2:39 pm

No idea where you got that “fact” about quinoa forbidden in Perú and rediscovered on the 80´s. Peruvians and other andean countries had never stop consuming it.
A tip, drain the first boiled water, rinse and cook as directed,the water will be kind of yellow (even more if its organic quinoa), thats the saponins washing away.

Martha, it is true that they never did stop consuming it but under Spanish rule, quinoa and other native crops were suppressed and replaced with Old World crops and this is what nearly wiped it out.
I had not heard of doing that extra rinse. Thank you, I will check it out.

Martha
July 17, 2013 at 7:10 pm

Glad tho that they are producing it by loads again!
My mom taught me to cook quinoa that way, a trick she learned from one of the cooks from her childhood days. You know, here at Perú, we still have help!

Maureen
August 26, 2013 at 7:01 pm

I visited Cusco, Peru in May/June 2013 and walked the 4 day Inca Trek to Machu Picchu. The local guides cooked Quinoa and vege soup a few days and I have fallen in love with this grain. I now add it regularly to my vege soups and sometimes add chicken … it is so delicious and very hearty and healthy. Love your site and the different ways of cooking Quinoa which I must try soon.

I just rinse thoroughly. I put it in a sieve and run the water through it for a couple of minutes.

Martha
March 18, 2014 at 11:47 am

If you forget to soak quinoa overnight you can always cook it and change the water as it starts boiling, the water will be yellow, thats the saponins, have boiling water at hand and replace it, finish cooking it, an old peruvian trick.

Liz
June 8, 2014 at 9:38 am

I only recently introduced Quinoa into my foods and very much enjpy it with lunches and dinners. I cook mine in chicken broth, then add cooked, chopped asparagus, sauted red peppers, onions, and raisins – whatever vegetables I have on hand. I really enjoy it. Thank you to all for sharing your knowledge.

chie
August 26, 2014 at 3:21 pm

i love to eat quinoa with chopped vegetables..but as i’ve read from your article.is it not good to eat it everyday?

It is not that quinoa is particularly not good for us to eat everyday. Most foods are not good to eat every day. We need variety to get all the possible nutrients.

Joy Kendra
January 26, 2017 at 12:32 pm

Not sure if anyone else mentioned this, but I find 1 c. quinoa to 2 cups water (which most recipes recommend) to be total MUSH. I always just do 1:1 and cook at a very low temperature, with a heat diffuser under the pot so it doesn’t burn. Just google “heat diffuser” there are many options. This makes light fluffy quinoa every time!!

bob franks
April 1, 2017 at 1:49 am

Hello Diana
I have yet to try quinoa so I am not sure how to use it……My doctor said I am on the road to Diabetes and its best to leave out white rice. Does one use Quinoa like rice?